‘After your brother died, Devlin went into a fury. You know how he doted upon Christopher. He blamed you for the accident. When you ran towards your brother, the horse reared up.’
Taryn’s hand tightened upon his, but she said nothing.
‘He was furious,’ she said quietly. ‘I had never seen him so angry. He held on to Christopher’s body, grieving...and then a...a sort of madness came over Devlin. He set his dogs upon you,’ Maeve continued. ‘They ripped your face apart and would have killed you, had I not stopped them.’
A violent anger roared through him when Killian heard this. If it were true, then the Queen was right. Devlin deserved to die.
Tears were streaming down the Queen’s face. ‘Every day that I see you, I blame Devlin. I was devastated when Christopher died, but I would never have punished you. You were only four years old.’
Taryn’s voice was cool. ‘If that was true, then why did you stay with him? Why didn’t you tell me what happened?’ The tone of her voice suggested that she didn’t believe Maeve.
The woman’s shoulders were trembling, and she added, ‘I had nowhere else to go. And I was afraid of what else he might do to both of us if I tried to take you away.’ Her face whitened. ‘He spent a great deal of time with you. At first I thought it was his remorse for what he did. But I never stopped worrying that he might lose his temper again. I promised myself I would help you find a husband quickly to get away from Devlin.’ The Queen pressed her fist to her mouth, as if trying to keep herself from saying too much.
A hardness formed in Killian’s gut at Devlin’s actions. But Taryn was shaking her head in disbelief. ‘No. I cannot believe my father caused these scars. He would never hurt me.’
Killian kept an arm around her, intending to guide her back. He couldn’t be certain what was true, but there was no questioning Maeve’s desire to protect Taryn.
The Queen straightened her shoulders. ‘I swore that I would never let anything happen to you again. And I will keep that promise.’
Taryn didn’t reply, and Killian saw the doubts upon her face. She had gone motionless, and without a word, she began walking back towards the horses. His instinct was to follow, but instead, he faced Maeve. He wanted to judge whether or not she was telling lies.
‘I won’t let my daughter go to Tara,’ the Queen said. ‘She can’t endanger herself like that. But more than that, Devlin should not be freed.’
If her words were true, then he agreed with Maeve. But the Queen had not yet finished. ‘Know this. I will take my daughter back to Ossoria by force if I must. I care not if she hates her imprisonment. Her well-being means more to me than her feelings.’
‘If you take her by force, she will despise you,’ Killian countered. ‘She will blame you for his death.’
‘Devlin deserves to die,’ she shot back.
‘Maybe. But let her learn that for herself. Or she’ll be hating you forever.’ He crossed his arms and stared at the Queen. This was not her decision to make.
‘Better for her to hate me than to die at the High King’s hands.’ In her eyes, he saw the cold resolution. Maeve was never going to let Taryn go. ‘He will use her. And I cannot allow Rory to hurt my daughter.’
‘I will not let any harm come to her,’ he countered. ‘I am the High King’s son. And that gives me a means of protecting her.’
‘I will protect my daughter. And you will not interfere with that.’
He faced her and saw the underlying fear in her eyes. She might be insistent upon keeping Taryn away from the High King, but there was more to this. He sensed that she was hiding more secrets, and there were strong reasons why she had kept all of this from her daughter.
Or if she was indeed lying—to rid herself of an unwanted husband and claim the kingdom for herself—then he would only learn the truth by confronting Devlin.
‘The choice is Taryn’s,’ he said. ‘If your daughter wants to continue her journey, you will not stop us.’ He sent her a hard stare, letting her know that he would not yield in this. Then he turned and strode back towards Taryn.
She was standing alone, staring off at the silvery lake. Her face had gone pale, and the dark strands of her hair hung against her cheeks, barely disguising the scars. Her hands were gripped together, and he came to stand beside her.
‘You believe her, don’t you?’ Her words were tinged with ice. ‘You’re not going to let me save him.’
‘Is she telling the truth? Do you remember what happened to you?’
Taryn shook her head slowly. ‘I don’t, no. I remember falling hard and—’ she closed her eyes against the memory ‘—the terrible pain of my face being torn. Someone pulled me away from the dogs, but I never saw who it was.’
She reached up to touch the scars, turning her blue eyes towards him. ‘I always believed it was my father who got me out. I never thought he could ever hurt me.’ She shook her head. ‘I still can’t believe it. But I don’t know why Maeve would try to turn me against him. Is it because she wants to rule Ossoria alone?’ Frustrated tears welled up in her eyes, but she would not let them fall.
Damn it all, but he was weak when it came to vulnerable women. Without asking, he pulled her into an embrace. She stiffened the moment he touched her, but he didn’t let go yet. Instead, he rubbed her spine lightly. ‘She’s going to try to force you to go back with her.’ There was so much tension radiating from her, and he didn’t know if it was anger or something more. He stroked the back of her head, letting the silky strands fall through his fingertips. ‘What do you want to do?’
She glared at him. ‘I want you to take me to the High King. I want to move forward and forget about her lies.’
He didn’t ask what she would do if the Queen wasn’t lying. Taryn would have to make that decision for herself when she saw her father. And if it turned out that King Devlin was not to be trusted, Killian fully intended to leave him where he was.
‘Release me, Killian,’ she demanded.
‘Not yet. Your mother is watching us.’ He moved his palm up her spine. ‘And I know how to free you from her commands. She will have no choice but to let you go.’
Her blue eyes narrowed with confusion. ‘No matter what you say to her, Maeve will never give up.’
In that, Taryn was wrong. There was a way to force the Queen’s hand. ‘If you want to see your father again, follow my lead,’ he said. ‘I swear to you, I can get you out of here without violence. She will have no choice.’
Taryn would be indignant and furious, but the deception would work. He grazed her cheek with his thumb. There was worry in her eyes, but he took her face between his hands. He was well aware that Maeve was watching them, and this would work to their advantage.
Lightly, he leaned in and kissed Taryn. ‘Trust in me.’
* * *
What was he doing? Taryn wanted to fight against his kiss, to push him away and demand an explanation. But he was doing this for a reason. She knew, after last night, that he wanted to show Maeve that there was more between them than a lady and her guard. But why?
The softness of his mouth poured over her like a river of suppressed needs. She couldn’t deny that she craved his mouth upon hers, or that she enjoyed his touch. But her cheeks were burning at the knowledge that they were being watched.
And soon enough, as she’d expected, Maeve hurried forward. ‘Take your hands from my daughter, fuidir.’
Killian kissed her harder, as if to taunt the Queen. Then he pulled back, his silver eyes demanding that she do everything he asked.
She didn’t want to. He was domineering, demanding that she bend to his will. For a servant, he had more arrogance than any man she’d ever met. And she suspected that his actions had something to do with getting the land he wanted.
‘We are returning to the rest of our men,’ he told Maeve. His arm slid around Taryn�
��s waist in a blatant show of possession.
‘She will go nowhere with you.’ The Queen gestured for her men to step forward, and Killian placed his hand upon the blade at his waist.
‘In that, you are wrong, Queen Maeve. No longer do you have the right to say where Taryn goes.’
What was he doing? Taryn couldn’t quite grasp it, but she held her tongue, waiting for the answers.
‘I am her mother,’ Maeve insisted, striding forward until she stood before them. ‘I have every right.’
‘And I am her husband,’ Killian answered. ‘That gives me command over her. Not you.’
Taryn blinked at the lie, her heart pounding. She buried her face in his shoulder, knowing that her expression would give everything away if she dared to look at her mother.
Her husband. Someone she had sworn he would never be—and yet, she saw the wisdom of the deception. A husband did have the right to command his wife, over her parents’ wishes. She became his property, to do with as he wished.
Her mother’s face went white with rage. ‘I don’t believe you. You could not do such a thing.’
‘We took sanctuary at the round tower,’ he informed her. ‘And we said our vows before we left, in the presence of the priest there.’
Her mother was arguing that it was impossible, that such a marriage could never be real. But when she lifted her head, Killian was facing down the Queen, his gaze like ice. ‘I am taking my wife back to our travelling companions. You will allow us to continue our journey without interference.’
‘My daughter would never wed a slave,’ the Queen insisted. But Taryn saw the flicker of doubt in her mother’s eyes.
‘I am not a slave.’ Killian released her and took a step forward, using his height to intimidate her mother. ‘I am the High King’s son. And it is my right to bring her home to Tara.’
That put an end to her mother’s protests. Taryn could see the shock giving way to fear. No, Killian had not admitted that he was a bastard. But it seemed that he bore a strong enough resemblance to the High King that her mother could not deny it.
Taryn felt the need to say something, instead of remaining silent. She moved forward and took Killian’s hand. ‘What he says is true, Mother. And we are going to leave now.’
‘I don’t believe you,’ Maeve snapped. ‘Why would the High King’s son choose a bride with a scarred face...when he could have anyone else? And why would he wed a traitor’s daughter?’ She shook her head, refusing to acknowledge the possibility.
Black rage covered Killian’s face. ‘Do not speak ill of your own daughter.’ His hand remained upon the hilt of his dagger. ‘I would suggest that you leave us. Now.’
‘The marriage can be annulled,’ the Queen started to argue, but Taryn held up a hand.
‘No. It will not be.’ Daring a look at Killian, she realised he was right. This truly was the best way of overcoming her mother’s control. ‘The marriage has already been consummated.’
Maeve paled, but sent Taryn a look. ‘This isn’t finished. I will never let you endanger yourself at Tara.’
‘She is under my protection,’ Killian answered. ‘And you can do nothing to change it.’
Her mother’s mouth set in a hard line. ‘We will accompany you to Tara,’ she stated. ‘My men will join with yours.’
And I will learn if you are lying, her tone seemed to say.
Taryn stared back at her. ‘I care not what you do. But I intend to find out the truth about my father.’ She put her arm around Killian’s waist to underscore her words. There was a hint of approval in his eyes, and he led her back towards their horses.
In a whisper, she leaned in. ‘I cannot believe what you just said to my mother. But it worked.’
‘Of course it did.’ He appeared entirely confident in the ruse. And although she could not know what would happen once they reached Tara, for now, she was grateful to him. She could travel freely, with no worry about an army pursuing them.
Relief filled her up, and he lifted her on to her horse. His hands lingered upon her waist for a moment, and his expression turned enigmatic. After he swung up to his own mount, he sent her a sidelong look.
‘Is something the matter?’ she asked, as they began their journey back to the MacEgan men.
His eyes held a glint of wickedness. ‘Well, now, that all depends, a mhuírnín.’
‘On what?’ She urged her horse forward alongside his.
‘If we are now “married”, then it seems that we’ll now be sharing a tent,’ he said. There was an unspoken question, one that warmed her skin with promise.
She understood what he was asking, and she straightened in the saddle. ‘Don’t fear, Killian. Your virtue is safe with me.’
And with a smile, she rode back to the men.
Chapter Ten
The Queen was as good as her word. The moment Killian returned with the MacEgan soldiers, she joined them. Though Maeve did not dare to issue commands, she kept a close eye upon Taryn.
He was well aware that she didn’t believe their story at all. Her insistence upon controlling her daughter, though out of a mother’s love, had made him realise that only a husband had the right to supersede Maeve’s authority.
Taryn, thankfully, had recognised the deception as a best means of reaching Tara with no further interference. He had no doubt that her mother would have prevented a marriage at all costs. It was only his resemblance to the High King that made her falter. She would learn, soon enough, that he was a bastard. But for now, he had the right to travel with the Lady Taryn.
They would reach Tara within another day or two. Night was falling, and he finally chose a place to make camp. Taryn was looking weary, but he knew she was grateful that she still had her freedom, such as it was.
He set up their tent away from the others, knowing that they would have to share a space tonight. The thought of being so near to her was a raw temptation, and he worried that he would be unable to keep his distance. Each night, he thought more about touching this woman, about lying beside her.
The truth was, he wanted her with a fierce need he didn’t understand. He was like a flask of oil, ready to ignite with a single flame. Every time he kissed her, he thought of what it would be like to pleasure this woman, to teach her what it was to surrender to his touch.
They ate among the other men, and he didn’t miss the Queen’s resentful look when he escorted Taryn back to their tent. But his so-called bride took his hand and went with him obediently.
Instead of walking inside the tent, she stopped him for a moment. ‘She is watching us.’
He knew that and didn’t care. ‘She doesn’t believe what we told her.’
Taryn nodded. ‘Will the men tell her the truth?’
Killian shook his head. He’d given orders to one of the MacEgan captains to spread the word among the soldiers. The guard had understood the need immediately, and he was confident that the men would maintain the illusion to prevent bloodshed.
He took Taryn’s hands, and she lifted her face to his. In the shadowed moonlight, her eyes glowed. ‘I suppose, in this instance, I am using you to avoid a conflict with my mother. But you needn’t worry that it will come to anything more than this.’
He lifted her hands to his chest. God help him, but he had never desired anyone more than this woman. He traced her scarred cheeks with his thumbs, not caring that most of the camp was finding a reason to watch their shadowed silhouettes. ‘I think we are using each other, a stór. And this night, I find that I don’t care.’
He claimed her mouth in a fierce kiss, needing to taste the lips that had haunted him. She yielded to him, kissing him back and opening to him. Against his mouth, she whispered, ‘Are they still watching us?’
‘Aye, they are.’ He drew her hips to his, knowing that she could feel th
e length of his arousal.
‘Good. Perhaps my mother will believe this.’ She deepened the kiss, opening her mouth and touching her tongue to his. Her boldness sent a white-hot bolt of desire rocking through him. He met her kiss with his own, ravaging her mouth until he could hardly remember anything at all. She tempted him beyond measure, and he hissed when she slid her hands down to his hips, moving her body against his.
‘You’re pushing against the boundaries, Lady,’ he murmured against her ear. He sucked at the soft lobe, and she released a gasp. ‘Do you know what I’m wanting to do to you now?’ She shook her head, shuddering when he trailed a path to her throat. Her responses were innocent and so perfect, he could spend all night touching her.
‘I’m wanting to run my hands beneath your skirts. I want to caress your ankles, rising up between your thighs.’ At her shocked expression, he added, ‘Aye, a mhuírnín, I’d touch you there, too. And if you were wet, I’d pleasure you until you were desperate to take me inside you.’
Her face was flushed, and he drew his hands over her bottom, moving his thigh between her legs. She clung to him for balance, and he said, ‘I could lift your skirts and put myself inside you. You’d feel me moving within your body.’
Her fingers dug into his shoulder, and he could see her eyes staring into his with her own arousal. When he moved his leg, she let out a faint moan.
‘Your legs would be wrapped around my waist while I thrust inside you,’ he said. And she closed her eyes as if to imagine it.
Without asking, he led her inside the tent and drew the flap shut. In the darkness, he could no longer see her face. But he sensed that he’d brought her to a desire she’d never felt before.
‘Killian,’ she whispered. ‘What you said outside...it made me feel so...’ Her words drifted off, as if she was too embarrassed to speak.
‘I don’t think anyone would doubt now that our marriage is consummated. They saw enough.’
He was giving her the chance to pull back from him, to sleep on her side of the tent and maintain her virtue. But inside, he was aching for her. He wanted to do exactly as he’d said, sliding into her body and thrusting until she cried out from the pleasure of it.
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